A Climate Services Vision First Steps Toward the Future (2001) / Chapter Skim
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Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Pages 1-7
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Research efforts of the last two decades have produced substantial improvements in understanding short-term climatic fluctuations such as E1 Nino and La Nina (NRC 1996~. A number of groups around the world now regularly forecast aspects of the E1 Nino/Southern Oscillation phenomenon ~ As weather forecasts for longer lead times have become possible and shorter term climate forecasts have been developed, there has been a blurring of the distinction between weather and climate.
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After reviewing the various meanings used in the past, the National Research Council's Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC) took a broad view and defined climate services as the timely production and delivery of useful climate data, information, and knowledge to decision makers.
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Following the workshop, BASC dedicated a full day of its fall 2000 meeting to final deliberations and report preparation. BASC assessed the current climate service activities in the United States and compared the state of climate services with the development of weather services to identify the following five guiding principles for climate services: 1.
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A truly useful climate service depends on having mechanisms that support and enable user-centric design and improvement. These include effective means for encouraging dialogue with users, the willingness to adapt existing data types and formats to meet specific user needs, and the availability of expertise in the operations of the various major user groups being supported within the climate .
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In particular, the centers should play a role in the development of the capabilities required to provide long-term simulations, analyses of limitations and uncertainties, and specialized products for impact studies. Recommendation 2.4: Develop better climate service products based on ensemble climate simulations.
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Universities should initiate majors and minors in climate policy to enable informed planning and management of climate services. These programs should include education in the basics of climate science, identification of the needs of various user communities, and the creation and dissemination of climate information in forms that will be most useful to those users.
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to form a unified climate service. The existing network of state climatologists, RCCs, national agencies, and private sector organizations has provided services in the past and provides increasingly competent services today.
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